(TibetanReview.net, Jun05’20) – A retired Chinese football star has called for the ouster of the Communist Party government of his country, appearing in a YouTube channel on Jun 4, the 31st anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre, with his wife Ye Zhaoying, a former badminton champion.
Hao Haidong, 50, who was a major star in China during the 1990s and 2000s, and is known to have a residence in Spain, spoke in a 53-minute video interview, reported the scmp.com Jun 4.
“I think the Chinese people should not be trampled upon by the Chinese Communist Party any more. I think this Communist Party should be kicked out of humanity. This is the conclusion I reached after 50 years of living,” Hao was quoted as saying in the YouTube channel of fugitive billionaire Guo Wengui who lives in the USA.
Hao, a prolific scorer who played for the Chinese national team more than 100 times, led China to its only World Cup finals appearance, in 2002, the report noted.
He was known to have been outspoken on social issues and had criticised the Chinese football establishment, earning him the nickname “Cannon Hao”, but had not previously spoken out against the Communist Party, the report noted.
Hao was also reported to have read from a “declaration” of the “New Federal State of China” in another video.
Hao’s Weibo account, which had more than 7 million followers, appeared to have been removed on Jun 4 afternoon from the Twitter-like platform, the report said.
YouTube has long been blocked in China.
Hao was state to have started his career playing for the junior team of the People’s Liberation Army, eventually rising to the rank of major.
